Sicelides Musae, paulo maiora canamus!
muses of Sicily, essay we now
Non omnis arbusta iuvant humilesque myricae;
a somewhat loftier task! Not all men love
si canimus silvas, silvae sint consule dignae.
coppice or lowly tamarisk: sing we woods,
Ultima Cumaei venit iam carminis aetas;
woods worthy of a Consul let them be.
5
magnus ab integro saeclorum nascitur ordo:
Now the last age by Cumae's Sibyl sung
iam redit et Virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna;
has come and gone, and the majestic roll
iam nova progenies caelo demittitur alto.
of circling centuries begins anew:
Tu modo nascenti puero, quo ferrea primum
justice returns, returns old Saturn's reign,
desinet ac toto surget gens aurea mundo,
with a new breed of men sent down from heaven.
10
casta fave Lucina: tuus iam regnat Apollo.
Only do thou, at the boy's birth in whom
Teque adeo decus hoc aevi te consule inibit,
the iron shall cease, the golden race arise,
Pollio, et incipient magni procedere menses.
befriend him, chaste Lucina; 'tis thine own
te duce, si qua manent sceleris vestigia nostri,
apollo reigns. And in thy consulate,
inrita perpetua solvent formidine terras.
this glorious age, O Pollio, shall begin,
15
ille deum vitam accipiet, divisque videbit
and the months enter on their mighty march.
permixtos heroas, et ipse videbitur illis,
Under thy guidance, whatso tracks remain
pacatumque reget patriis virtutibus orbem.
of our old wickedness, once done away,
At tibi prima, puer, nullo munuscula cultu
shall free the earth from never-ceasing fear.
errantis hederas passim cum baccare tellus
He shall receive the life of gods, and see
20
mixtaque ridenti colocasia fundet acantho.
heroes with gods commingling, and himself
Ipsae lacte domum referent distenta capellae
be seen of them, and with his father's worth
ubera, nec magnos metuent armenta leones;
reign o'er a world at peace. For thee, O boy,
ipsa tibi blandos fundent cunabula flores,
first shall the earth, untilled, pour freely forth
occidet et serpens, et fallax herba veneni
her childish gifts, the gadding ivy-spray
25
occidet, Assyrium volgo nascetur amomum.
with foxglove and Egyptian bean-flower mixed,
at simul heroum laudes et facta parentis
and laughing-eyed acanthus. Of themselves,
iam legere et quae sit poteris cognoscere virtus,
untended, will the she-goats then bring home
molli paulatim flavescet campus arista,
their udders swollen with milk, while flocks afield
incultisque rubens pendebit sentibus uva,
shall of the monstrous lion have no fear.
30
et durae quercus sudabunt roscida mella
Thy very cradle shall pour forth for thee
Pauca tamen suberunt priscae vestigia fraudis,
caressing flowers. The serpent too shall die,
quae temptare Thetim ratibus, quae cingere muris
die shall the treacherous poison-plant, and far
oppida, quae iubeant telluri infindere sulcos:
and wide Assyrian spices spring. But soon
alter erit tum Tiphys, et altera quae vehat Argo
as thou hast skill to read of heroes' fame,
35
delectos Heroas; erunt etiam altera bella,
and of thy father's deeds, and inly learn
atque iterum ad Troiam magnus mittetur Achilles.
what virtue is, the plain by slow degrees
Hinc, ubi iam firmata virum te fecerit aetas,
with waving corn-crops shall to golden grow,
cedet et ipse mari vector, nec nautica pinus
from the wild briar shall hang the blushing grape,
mutabit merces: omnis feret omnia tellus:
and stubborn oaks sweat honey-dew. Nathless
40
non rastros patietur humus, non vinea falcem;
yet shall there lurk within of ancient wrong
robustus quoque iam tauris iuga solvet arator;
some traces, bidding tempt the deep with ships,
nec varios discet mentiri lana colores:
gird towns with walls, with furrows cleave the earth.
ipse sed in pratis aries iam suave rubenti
Therewith a second Tiphys shall there be,
murice, iam croceo mutabit vellera luto;
her hero-freight a second Argo bear;
45
sponte sua sandyx pascentis vestiet agnos.
new wars too shall arise, and once again
Talia saecla, suis dixerunt, currite, fusis
some great Achilles to some Troy be sent.
concordes stabili fatorum numine Parcae.
Then, when the mellowing years have made thee man,
Adgredere o magnos—aderit iam tempus—honores,
no more shall mariner sail, nor pine-tree bark
cara deum suboles, magnum Iovis incrementum!
ply traffic on the sea, but every land
50
Aspice convexo nutantem pondere mundum,
shall all things bear alike: the glebe no more
terrasque tractusque maris caelumque profundum!
shall feel the harrow's grip, nor vine the hook;
Aspice, venturo laetentur ut omnia saeclo!
the sturdy ploughman shall loose yoke from steer,
O mihi tam longae maneat pars ultima vitae,
nor wool with varying colours learn to lie;
spiritus et quantum sat erit tua dicere facta!
but in the meadows shall the ram himself,
55
Non me carminibus vincet nec Thracius Orpheus,
now with soft flush of purple, now with tint
nec Linus, huic mater quamvis atque huic pater adsit,
of yellow saffron, teach his fleece to shine.
Orphei Calliopea, Lino formosus Apollo,
While clothed in natural scarlet graze the lambs.
Pan etiam, Arcadia mecum si iudice certet,
“Such still, such ages weave ye, as ye run,”
Pan etiam Arcadia dicat se iudice victum.
sang to their spindles the consenting Fates
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Incipe, parve puer, risu cognoscere matrem,
by Destiny's unalterable decree.
matri longa decem tulerunt fastidia menses.
Assume thy greatness, for the time draws nigh,
Incipe, parve puer, cui non risere parentes,
dear child of gods, great progeny of Jove!
nec deus hunc mensa, dea nec dignata cubili est.
See how it totters—the world's orbed might,
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